georgia

The Lumber for Your Favorite Wooden Roller Coaster May Have Come From S.I. Storey in Armuchee, Georgia

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Wooden Roller coasters primarily use a very specific type of wood called Southern Yellow Pine (SYP) for their structure and track. Southern Yellow Pine has become the industry-standard wood used worldwide for most modern wooden roller coasters due to its density, strength, and pressure-treatment capabilities. For more than two decades, S.I. Storey Lumber Company in Armuchee, GA has specialized in high quality treated Southern Yellow Pine that has been used in roller coasters around the world. S.I Storey lumber is in use at many Six Flags parks, smaller local parks across the United States and even international parks like Walibi Belgium. Please note that of the coasters pictured in this article only Viper and Weerwolf are known for certain to have S.I. Storey lumber.

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Is Holiday in the Park Returning to Six Flags Over Georgia in 2026?

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Front entrance at Six Flags Over Georgia Holiday in the Park

Six Flags Over Georgia announced last summer that its Holiday in the Park event was cancelled for 2025 as the were focusing resources “during the time when the majority of our guests visit the Six Flags Over Georgia” and “weather conditions can more consistently support our goal”. This closed the park about a month earlier than usual and was met with a lot of disappointment from the season pass base who only got a “free bring a friend” as compensation. However, during the company’s quarterly earnings call on Feb. 19, 2026 there was a glimmer of hope that this event might return in 2026 as the new management reflected that the decision last year may have been a mistake.

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Wild Adventures Upgrading 3 Rides for 2026 Season

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In a recent press release it was announced that Wild Adventures in Valdosta, Georgia would be making upgrades to 3 guest favorite attractions. This off-season, the maintenance team at Wild Adventures was hard at work improving the ride experience on Island Falls, the Safari Train, and Boomerang. Island Falls has 2 new boats, delivering shorter wait times and more splash-filled fun. The Safari Train has a second locomotive joining the track, meaning less time spent waiting in line to hop on board. The beloved Boomerang roller coaster features an all-new control system and new magnetic brakes from Vekoma, designed for smooth stops and reduced unexpected closures throughout the season.

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Atlanta’s American Adventures: The Now Largely Vacant Building Next to White Water Once Was a Herschend Park

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If you visit Six Flags White Water you’ll notice a large building sharing the parking lot that appears largely vacant. This building was actually part of American Adventures, something akin to a large family entertainment center or small amusement park that operated until 2010. This park has a really interesting history, having been owned by more than one theme park brand. The property is now used for training, HR, storage and the employee cafeteria, but at one time there were numerous rides here and even a small roller coaster. White Water is very much a “water park in the woods” and American Adventure was similar as in the forest between that building and the water park once sat a pretty amazing little amusement park called American Adventures.

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The Closure of Mountasia Family Fun Center and the Collateral Damage of a Theme Park Sale

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Mountasia Family Fun Center Sign
Mountasia Family Fun Center Sign (from X.com @mountasia037)

Earlier in 2025 it was announced that Herschend was aquiring the US based assets of Palace Entertainment. This acquisition included famous properties such as Pittsburgh’s Kennywood, Iowa’s Adventureland, Noah’s Ark water park in Wisconsin Dells and Lake Compounce, the oldest continuously-operating amusement park in North America. It also included some smaller family entertainment centers including Malibu Norcross in Norcross, GA and Mountasia in Marietta, GA that we subsequently closed on September 28, 2025. Mountasia was specifically known for three mini golf courses, bumper boats and go-karts. I had a chance to drive by the now shuttered Mountasia and got some current pictures.

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The World of Sid and Marty Krofft: Atlanta’s Former Indoor Theme Park in the Old CNN Center

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The World of Sid and Marty Krofft

If you visited Atlanta over the last couple of decades that trip may have included a stop at the former CNN Center integrated into the Omni Hotel. This is especially true if you were visiting the neighboring Georgia World Congress Center, the Georgia Dome, Mercedes Benz Stadium Philips Arena (now State Farm) or Centennial Olympic Park. The food court at the base of the atrium was massive with tons of choices for those looking for a quick meal, but there was also a CNN Tour. However, this space 50 years ago in 1976 housed an indoor amusement park called The World of Sid and Marty Krofft.

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Fright Fest, Oktoberfest, Kids Boo Fest and New Heroes Fest at Six Flags Over Georgia this Fall

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Hearse at Six Flags Over Georgia Fright Fest

It’s ‘fest” season and Six Flags Over Georgia and that means Fright Fest, Kids Boo Fest and Oktoberfest. Also, a new event called Heroes Fest will debut Nov. 9, celebrating both comic book icons and real-life community heroes. One can argue that fall is the best time to visit a theme park between the weather and the extra attractions available!

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Spending National Roller Coaster Day 2025 at Lake Winnie Riding the Historic Cannon Ball Coaster

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The Lake Winnepesaukah amusement park in Rossville, GA (affectionately known locally as “Lake Winnie“) is a beautiful park located on a 9 acre lake. The park is family owned celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and is filled with history, nostalgia and character. The park’s best known attraction is the Cannon Ball wooden roller coaster built in 1967. On National Roller Coaster Day 2025 on August 16th we felt like getting some rides on the park’s historic Cannon Ball coaster was a great way to celebrate.

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Oklahoma Theme Park American Heartland Appears Cancelled After Investor Files Fraud Lawsuit Over “Text Messages From God”

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American Heartland theme park in Northeastern Oklahoma. A new lawsuit claims that the park’s founders defrauded a 91-year-old man, Gene Bicknell, out of over $60 million in investments toward the park using text messages pretending to be from God. According to reports, the lawsuit alleges that the defendants “executed a predatory conspiracy of psychological manipulation” and obtained the investment by “convincing Bicknell, through fraud and impersonation, that God himself was commanding him”. American Heartland was to be a $2 billion world-class theme park and resort off Route 66 in Vinita, Oklahoma scheduled to open in 2028. However, the park’s website has gone dark (along with that of parent company Mansion Entertainment Group) and combined with the lawsuit it almost certainly marks the end of the development.

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New Theming and Story in the Lickskillet Area of Six Flags Over Georgia with Georgia Gold Rusher

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LickSkillet Area of Six Flags Over Georgia
LickSkillet Area of Six Flags Over Georgia

There are amusement parks and theme parks with one merely being a collection of rides while the later uses decor, landscaping, attraction design and overall atmosphere to create a unifying theme throughout an area of a park or an entire park. Six Flags Over Georgia is not an amusement park, but a full fledged theme park. I would argue the park has at least two themed sections and the argument can be made for a couple more. The most obvious of these is the Gotham area of the park with all the rides pulled together by the Batman universe. However, potentially the most themed area of the park is LickSkillet area where food, rides, buildings and entertainment all come together to tell a cohesive story about the Gold rush times in Georgia.

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